The political nature of the EU’s sanctions policy in the field of international security

The relevance of studying the European Union’s sanctions policy is due to its function as a tool for countering threats to international security. The aim of the study was to clarify the political nature of the European Union’s sanctions policy during the period 2014-2025 in the context of its transformation into a strategic foreign policy instrument. The methodological basis included systemic, functional, comparative, institutional, legal, and case methods, which allowed for the investigation of the multi-level nature of sanctions. The application of a systemic approach revealed the holistic architecture of sanctions policy with its legal, institutional, and political dimensions. Three main functions of sanctions were identified: political messaging, deterrence, and behavioural change. Case analysis showed different rationales for applying sanctions against Russia, Iran, Belarus, Syria, China, and North Korea. The sanctions against Russia after 2014 demonstrated a shift towards a long-term strategy of political isolation. The analysis of the legal framework and institutional architecture revealed a close relationship between the legitimacy of decisions and the effectiveness of implementation. The European Union has demonstrated its capacity for normative innovativeness, particularly through the launch of the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. At the same time, key limitations were identified, related to international coordination, economic interdependence, and implementation difficulties. The European Union’s sanctions policy has evolved from a tool of economic influence into a political means of strategic deterrence. Despite institutional shifts, sanctions remain only one part of the European Union’s complex set of foreign policy tools, the effectiveness of which depends on external and internal factors. The results obtained can be used to improve decision-making mechanisms in the area of sanctions policy and to optimise international coordination